


Empathy

by LeahR95



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, DCU, Justice League - All Media Types, Man of Steel (2013), Superman - All Media Types
Genre: Empath!Bruce, M/M, Tags to be added as needed, empathic abilities
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-04
Updated: 2019-03-05
Packaged: 2019-11-09 07:48:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17997821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeahR95/pseuds/LeahR95
Summary: Justice League AU where Bruce is an empath, Tim was visiting Dick in Bludhaven while Batman V Superman was happening and Clark didn't die at the end of it, and Bruce discovers he has a bad habit of buying things for cute farmboys that could crush him like a grape.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I actually had to watch Man of Steel and Batman V Superman so I could justify writing this fic

Bruce Wayne watches Metropolis fall apart and feels everyone's pain and fear. It's so strong and so many people are feeling it at once that he can barely move, but he must; there are people that need help.

——

As soon as he's home, Bruce starts digging. He needs to know everything he can about this ‘Superman’ so he can be prepared, just in case.

He finds the same things Lois found. He learns that Superman goes by Clark when he's not wearing a cape, that Clark was a baby when he came to Earth. Superman was raised human but that doesn't mean he isn't a threat, could even prove to make him more of one.

So he keeps an eye on Clark Kent and wonders what kind of idiot trying to keep his identity safe decides to work with a bunch of journalists.

For two years Bruce keeps an eye on Clark and searches for any kind of viable contingency plan against Superman, until one day he gets wind of something Lex Luther has found. He plans to break into Lex’s place and steal the information he needs but ends up getting invited to a party there. He can't help thinking the timing is suspicious, but he's no stranger to these sorts of invites and Alfred often calls him paranoid so he puts the thought aside for the time being.

Bruce Wayne meets Clark Kent in person at the party, asking about the Bat, and… his emotions are not what he expected.

Bruce expected smugness, some kind of superiority complex, maybe even pity for the poor tiny humans; instead he feels the curiosity of a journalist, the loneliness of someone who feels he needs to hide, the sadness, grief, and guilt of a person who wishes they had done more to help.

He expresses his disdain for Superman, expecting a flair of anger at his audacity, but all he feels from Clark is an increase in guilt and grief as well as a spike of anxiety. Clark thinks Bruce knows something and is afraid that he'll be exposed and that his mother won't be safe once that happens.

Then Lex comes by. Bruce has never liked being around Lex, who has always been angry just under the surface and always felt a sense of superiority that grated on Bruce’s nerves. But now… now Lex is talking to Bruce and Clark and is feeling excited, has some kind of sadistic glee and a seemingly unwarranted hatred of Clark.

Unless Lex also knows who Clark is. 

Lex is certainly planning something.

He hopes to find out what later that night when he has Lex’s files, but a woman ends up taking them so he has to wait until she gives them back.

Bruce finds what she was looking for and he finds what he was looking for and a little bit more than that.

He steals the kryptonite from Lex and Superman is there when the congressional building explodes. He manages to save a handful of people in the split second before the explosion engulfs everything and then he promptly disappears.  
Bruce feels like he's missing something; while he's working on the kryptonite weapons, he looks further into the hearing.

The bomb was in a wheelchair given by Lex, and Lex, who was supposed to be there, hadn't shown up.

So when Superman shows up and tries to talk first, feeling anxiety and fear despite not being aware of the kryptonite nearby, Bruce decides not to back up, not to lead him into the sound weapon and hear him out.

“He has my mother.”

Clark explains what he knows, but Bruce senses there's another piece missing. He packs his weapons and goes to save Martha (and isn't that a coincidence, their mothers sharing a name) while Clark confronts Lex.

Martha is safe but now the final piece of Lex’s plan is wrecking havoc.

Diana, the woman from before, shows up to help, and it's a good thing too; her lasso keeps Doomsday in place long enough for Bruce to toss the Kryptonite Spear to Clark, who uses all of his strength to throw it at Doomsday before the Spear can sap it away from him.

Bruce doesn't even want to imagine what might have happened if he had actually fought and weakened Superman before this battle, or worse, had killed him like he had originally planned.

Bruce still doesn't fully trust Clark and says as much to him. There's a flash of somber amusement from him. “Keep the Kryptonite,” Clark says, “I want to do good, be a good person, but… When Lex had my mom, I wanted to kill him. I was willing to kill you, if you hadn't listened. I can't imagine who I would become if I had done it. I don't want to be that person. So, keep the Kryptonite. Just in case.”

Bruce doesn't know what to say to that, so he doesn't say anything.

——

Hours after the fight, Bruce gets a call.

“Hey Bruce, I know I'm doing my own thing in Bludhaven and Tim’s staying with me, but do you think maybe you could have called us about the giant mutant alien!?”

“There wasn't time.”

“But there was time to build a special spear to kill it?”

“…”

“Bruce.”

“…”

“Bruce don't tell me. That spear wasn't originally meant for the mutant was it.”

“Dick.”

“Bruce! You were going to kill Superman!?”

“I didn't end up killing him.”

“Are you still planning to!?”

“If he goes rogue. But I don't think that will happen.”

“You… don't?”

“Baring any personal tragedy of significant degree. Or if he starts seeing just how dark humanity can get.”

“Hm. I take it you got close enough to do your empathy thing then? There wasn't a lot of great news coverage to really tell what was going on so I wasn't sure.”

“Yes, I got close enough to do my ‘empathy thing’.”

“Ok, so, now I gotta know: is he just as hot in person?”

Bruce hung up.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys are back in town

It was a couple weeks after Doomsday when Bruce called Clark for the first time.

“Clark Kent speaking, who is this?”

“It's Bruce.”

“Oh! Uh, hi? Is there something wrong?”

Bruce figured that was a fair question; they hadn't spoken since Clark had told him to keep the Kryptonite. “In 42 minutes, there will be an opening for you to take the scout ship somewhere safe.”

“What?” Clark asked. He sounded bewildered perhaps, but Bruce's empathic abilities didn't work over the phone. It was annoying.

“We don't want another Doomsday on our hands.”

“I don't think anyone is gonna try to do what Luther did…”

“Best to be safe.”

“What about the progress we could make? You know, reverse engineering stuff.”

“You can't be so naive as to think the government wouldn't immediately make the most devastating weapons we've ever seen.”

Clark sighed. “I want to call you paranoid for that but… I guess I see what you mean…”

“Besides, if you manage to fix it up you might be able to learn about yourself and Krypton.”

“Hm. You mean YOU could learn more, right?”

“… I admit I would appreciate the opportunity to study the ship, maybe do my own reverse engineering for my company, but you would first need to hide it in a place that I could actually get too. I won't try to tell you I would stay away from it. I don't think you would believe me.”

Clark was silent for a long time. “Thank you, Bruce.” He said quietly.

It wasn't long before the news was talking about Superman taking the scout ship away. Bruce thought that that would be it but Clark ended up calling him back.

“Can you get to Antarctica?”

“… Right now?”

Clark laughed. “No, just, at all.”

“I could probably get to Antarctica. The moon would have been better if you wanted to keep me away.”

“Exactly.”

“… I don't understand.”

“I figured you could probably use some cheering up, stuck in that gloomy town all day. I figured a fun challenge might be just what you need.”

Bruce was speechless. “You're going to let me study the ship?”

“If you can find its exact location and hack the security, yeah.”

Bruce swallowed. “You uh, you don't have to do that.”

“But I am anyway.”

“Clark… I'm sorry, about before, when I almost- when I was planning on-“

“I know Bruce. I understand.”

“… Right. Well. Bye.”

“Oh, ok, bye.”

Bruce hung up, internally cringing. He never knew how to fucking end a call that wasn't business.

——

“Sir, your children have just arrived via cave.”

Bruce looked up from his coffee, sensing Alfred's amusement. “Why didn't they use the front door?”

“I assume so they could attempt to hack your files on Superman.”

Bruce sighed. “I'll go get them. Could you start-“

“Breakfast is already in progress sir.”

Bruce smirked and thanked Alfred before heading downstairs.

As he went, he started to hear Dick and Tim arguing.

“I know what I'm doing Dick, if you would just let me-“

“Boys.”

“Oh heeeeeey Bruce! What brings you down here?”

“Don't you have a job?”

Dick scoffed. “You know the strongest dude on the planet, and I'm dying to meet him; police work can wait.”

Tim surreptitiously tried to keep hacking the computers.

“Get upstairs, both of you. Alfred is making breakfast.”

“… Alfred does make pretty good coffee…” Tim mumbled.

“You can have coffee if you eat.”

Tim scowled, causing Dick to laugh. “Come on Tim, lets go say hi to Alfred.”

Bruce sat in the recently vacated chair and made sure his files were still safe. Tim had managed to get into the system itself, but no files appeared to be breached. He would have to recalibrate the systems… again…

——

For the next several days, Bruce tried to locate the ship while simultaneously keeping his sons, especially Tim, from getting close to his computers.

That was all put on hold for a gala that Alfred insisted he and the boys go to. Dick was more than happy to go, Tim was a little annoyed, and Bruce stared into the middle distance as he ran calculations in his head until it was time to be seen by the public.

Everything was going fine, even if it was a bit tedious navigating all the emotions in the room and keeping an eye and ear out for anything suspicious, when he felt excitement fast approaching him. Bruce was prepared to endure a conversation with some socialite or a reporter but when he turned around… well, it was a reporter, but one he didn't mind too much.

“Hi Mr. Wayne.” Clark said with a smile and an outstretched hand. Bruce took it and smirked mischievously.

“Sorry, have we met?” he asked innocently.

A flare of amusement, but Clark did his best to look annoyed. “Yes actually, at the party Luther held before everything happened. I'm with the Daily Planet.”

“Ah, right! Kenny was it?”

This time Clark couldn't hide a brief smirk of his own. “Clark Kent, actually.”

“Well, if you're looking for a statement from me about the party, I'm afraid I don't actually know what it's for.”

Clark hesitated a bit, not actually sure if Bruce was lying about that or not. “It's a benefit to raise money for children in foster care.”

“Oh, that must be why my sons insisted on me coming! Have you met them?”

Clarks expression shifted as Bruce felt curiosity overlay Clarks good humor. “I haven't, actually. Would you mind introducing me?”

Bruce smirked. “Maybe some other time, though I'm sure you could meet them yourself if you look around.”

Clark was disappointed. “Of course.”

Bruce lowered his voice, serious now. “Tim is an exceptional hacker. He's determined to find out who Superman is. It's only a matter of time before he gets into my files.”

Clark blinked. “Thank you… for the warning?”

Bruce clapped Clark on the shoulder and gave his best Bruce Wayne smile. “Any time Kenny!”

With that, Bruce walked away, leaving behind Clark who was struggling not to laugh.

Dick promptly sidled up to him. “Noticed you were enjoying yourself with that reporter.”

“What makes you think that?”

“Please Bruce, I've known you a while now. I can tell when you actually like being around someone.”

“I don't know what you're talking about.”

Dick smiled. “Yeah, sure you don't.”

“Don't what?” Tim asked as he approached.

“Bruce liiiiiiikes some reporter guy.”

“Really?”

“I do not.”

“He does.”

“Dick. Stop.”

“You're blushing! See Tim, he's totally got a crush on this reporter!”

“Hm. What's his name?”

“It's a mystery.”

“Bruce. Like we would believe you don't know the names of everyone in here.”

“Leave me alone.”

“Nope! Now we have TWO mysteries on our hands!”

“Finding out about a random reporter is going to be a lot easier than the other thing, that's for sure.”

“You boys are killing me. You're killing your father.”

Dick and Tim just laughed at his misfortune.


End file.
